“Paying Attention”
is our March theme
Keeping Quiet
(excerpt)
by Pablo Neruda
Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still
for once on the face of the earth,
let’s not speak in any language;
let’s stop for a second,
and not move our arms so much
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness…
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves…
Next Service
March 8 at 11:00 am
“MLK JR., Boston College and Jesus and the Disinherited”
In person or live on Facebook.
Announcements
From Rev. Dan:
Dear UUCEL Members and Friends,
It is with great sorrow that I inform you that our beloved Dorothy Kerr passed away quietly in the late evening on Monday, March 2nd. Dorothy was 98 years old. She grew up in this church, was baptized here, went to school in our schoolhouse, and was a huge part of this congregation her whole life. She will be sorely missed.
No Memorial Service plans have been decided upon yet. Once the plans are finalized, we will announce them.
Lunch with the minister: Rev. Dan has been hosting regular monthly small group discussions over lunch. These discussions are not structured and don’t require any outside work. Just come and chat and connect. The next gathering will be Friday, March 27 at 12:30 at the Bone Island Grill in Vandercook.
New Adult RE Offering: Rev. Dan will be offering a three-month Adult RE class beginning in late March using a new curriculum offering from the folks at Soul Matters called Practice Matters. This curriculum is designed to support spiritual practice curiosity by learning and doing. In other words, Practice Matters doesn’t just explain the featured spiritual practices; it helps people experience them and the deeper invitations to which they point.
Each session provides background about a particular spiritual practice, teases out how the practice speaks to universal hungers, and offers options about how participants can engage the practice in their own life, with care given to avoid cultural misappropriation. Participants then pick one of the options provided and do it prior to their group meeting. Sessions also contain reflection questions for participants to debrief their experience personally and with their groups.
The three monthly practices we will explore are:
- Labyrinth Work
- Loving Kindness practice
- Offering Gratitude
Classes will be held on Zoom so that both congregations can participate. Our first monthly session will be Thursday, March 26 at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Dan by March 10 if you would like to participate.
Study Leave: Rev. Dan will be on Study Leave March 9 through March 15. He will not be available for meetings, phone calls, emails, or other communications except in an emergency. He will return to the office on Monday, March 16.
HELP WANTED: Let’s spread the word about our church community on social media. Our new website is in the works but we need more visibility. Are you willing and able to post images from our UU collection to Facebook, Instagram, and other media? Know someone who would? Give Ann Green a holler.
Worship Committee seeks speakers: Do you know folks from the community that may be interested in speaking to the congregation? Do you have an idea for a service, or a willingness to take us on your spiritual journey? If so, please contact Darrin Palmer or another member of the Worship Committee. We are happy to help put the pieces together for a Sunday Service!
The church phone number is 517-295-3290.
Social Mission Designee:
AWARE is our third quarter designee. AWARE provides services and resources for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. They support survivors at every stage. They’re dedicated to ensuring that survivors have the resources, support, and comfort they need. Write a check to the church with a note in the memo line or use the give button on our website.
Minister’s Schedule:
- March 4 – Off
- March 5-6 – Elkhart Virtual
- March 7 – Off
- March 8 – Elkhart in person
- March 9-15 – Study Leave (Unavailable except for emergencies)
Rev. Dan is available for 1:1 emergency pastoral care regardless of his days off. If you are in need of immediate pastoral care, please contact him right away. Please refrain from texting Rev. Dan after normal work hours unless it is a critical issue that needs immediate attention; if not, email him the next workday. If you need an immediate response to an email on a day off, type “URGENT’ in the subject line.
Please submit items for this weekly email by Tuesday afternoon at WednesdayChimes@gmail.com Please include the date(s) you would like the announcement published in the subject line of your email.
Sunday Announcements
Please submit items to be announced on Sunday to the Worship Committee at uuliberty@gmail.com
Joys and Sorrows
Please submit items for inclusion in our Sunday service to the Worship Committee at uuliberty@gmail.com